About the brand

Mamaleh

Mamaleh is Dara Katz's Yiddish jewelry line, putting words like chutzpah, mensch and oy vey on layerable necklaces "for the ones with chutzpah."

Since: 2023
Craft: Yiddish word jewelry

Mamaleh is Jewish jewelry with a Yiddish point of view, made "for the ones with chutzpah," as the brand puts it. It comes from Dara Katz, an editor and writer who started it while home on maternity leave during the pandemic. Late-night nursing sessions meant a lot of time online, and when she searched for jewelry with Yiddish words, she found it didn't exist. So she decided to design it herself.

The name was her grandmother's term of endearment for her, and it fit her new life as a mom. Katz grew up in Deerfield, Illinois, feeling close to the grandparents who brought Yiddish into her life.

The first line launched in February 2023 with necklaces spelling out chutzpah, mamaleh, mensch, oy and yente. Katz sees the pieces as a subtle "wink" between Jews, a way to start a conversation beyond Jewish geography. The line has since grown to Star of David necklaces, Yiddish studs and bracelets in gold and silver tones, plus objects, stickers and art prints.